When an NFL wide receiver hits 30 years old, they usually experience some kind of drop-off in their performance and production, and understandably so.
Well, unless you’re Mike Evans, of course.
In this 10th NFL season, Evans turned in some of the best numbers of his legendary career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite not having Tom Brady as his quarterback anymore.
Evans caught 79 passes for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging just shy of 16 yards per catch. He tied Tyreek Hill for the most touchdown catches in the NFL, and made his fifth career Pro Bowl.
How did it happen?
Some of the credit goes to now-former offensive coordinator Dave Canales:
Mike Evans may just have played his best football in 2023. Set multiple career-highs in #ReceptionPerception all while being wisely asked to run a more diverse route tree. pic.twitter.com/lDLNMMfXJi
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 2, 2024
Canales is now the head coach of the division-rival Carolina Panthers, but his replacement, Liam Cohen, comes from the same coaching tree, and should have many of the same concepts and tendencies that helped Evans enjoy such a successful year despite his age.
Hopefully, the Bucs are able to bring Evans back on a new contract extension this offseason, and pair him up with Mayfield once again. If that happens, it won’t be surprising if he keeps putting up big numbers, even as he gets deeper into his 30s.
